Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
September 21, 2007

Israelis Observe Yom Kippur Under Tight Security
------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=19955D6:A6F02AD83191E160AE0B97626312888E9574F7DCC14957C0 Holiday coincides
with major Muslim observance, further raising tensions Israelis are
observing the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur under tight security. As
Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the holiday
coincides with a major Muslim observance, raising tensions in the Holy
Land.







Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men look at their chickens as they run loose
during the Kaparot ritual in Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, 20
Sep 2007Israelis gathered at synagogues around the country for the
holiest day on the Jewish calendar: Yom Kippur or the Day of
Atonement. It is a day of fasting in which the faithful ask God's
forgiveness for their sins.

Security is tight. More than 2,000 Israeli police and soldiers
deployed in Jerusalem's walled Old City, where Muslims gathered for
prayers at the Mosque of al-Aksa, the site Jews call the Temple Mount.

Only Arabs with Israeli ID cards were allowed to attend the prayers
marking the second Friday of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of
fasting. Fearing terrorist attacks, Israel barred Palestinians in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip from entering the country.





" hspace=2
src="/english/images/ap_israel_palestinians_prayers_21sep07_eng_195.jpg"
width=210 vspace=2 border=0>

Muslim worshippers pray during the second Friday prayers of the holy
fasting month of Ramadan in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's
Old City, 21 Sep 2007Iyad, a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, told VOA
that the restrictions violate freedom of worship.

"This kind of collective punishment, it's hurting the Palestinian
people," he said.

Just below the mosque, Jews prayed at the Western Wall, the last
remnant of the biblical Temple.

Israeli worshipper Rachel Kass was glad to see all the police and
soldiers.

"Because our security services are on high alert, we can be pretty
certain that we'll be safe," she said.

Israel virtually shuts down on Yom Kippur. Places of entertainment are
closed, radio and TV broadcasts have gone off the air, and there is no
traffic on the streets.


.